Cold Blood

Fábio Bento (12/12/2022)

Cold morning, ice accumulates on the tarmac indistinguishable from road or sidewalk, characteristic of this country that is neither Nordic nor southern. This morning heralds the arrival (unofficial, because that one arrived some time ago) of the winter that so many working-class (Or working-class? How do you say today?) feared. As the negative temperatures scorch the walls of the houses, making them icy and consequently also the air and the people who inhabit them, Sicrano starts to turn on the boiler that feeds the radiators of his home. And that's what scares him, not just the act of turning on the central heating, but the financial consequences of doing so.

One has to wonder what triggers the average 80% rise in energy costs in this country, with instances where the direct debit for energy for some households rises from £60 to £270 a month. The war in Ukraine? A global problem that so many Tory backbenchers are quick to spit out of their mouths when it comes to defending an 11% inflation hike, but that's a topic for another column. Do not. The unique opportunity this government had to generate a windfall tax, which would see a record percentage of the UK's large energy corporations' profits go straight into the state coffers, should not be overlooked by the public. This value could be used to provide economic support to those who most need it to keep their homes warm.

Now, thousands of families will have to choose between heating their homes or eating. Listening to reports on the James O'brien show, chilling cases, of those who have been eating porridge for two weeks, of parents who skip meals to feed their children, of children who have taken their elderly parents out of homes with access to nursing care, endangering their lives because they have no way of providing them with the best care.

These same taxpayers just paid £8 million last summer for the funeral of a symbolic head of state, and as mentioned, that amount only covers the costs of the day of the funeral.

There was a financial blow from these same politicians who claim to defend the country's growth, it remains to be seen what this growth is.